Business move should position Etsy for greater sales.
Etsy has announced a trial of “on-demand delivery” service, boarding the faster delivery train already run by eretailers like Amazon and Target. For those holiday shoppers willing to pay the $30 flat rate fee for the cart of custom creations to be delivered directly to their doors, this is great news.
And this move should position Etsy for greater sales in the long run. The Aquity Group’s 2015 Next Generation of Commerce Study found that 66 percent of the 2,000 U.S. consumers surveyed said they are more likely to order from a company offering expedited delivery, and 64 percent of them said they would pay a premium for it. The study also found that 9 in 10 consumers favor businesses that provide delivery transparency, and 73 percent have opted for third party delivery from a retailer or grocery store (such as Instacart).
The Etsy blog explained that the pilot was designed to make it easier for customers to find and support local businesses. The program, Etsy ASAP, “enables same and next-day delivery from participating sellers in New York City. In partnership with on-demand logistics company, Postmates, we’re making it possible for buyers to discover, buy, and receive unique items direct from a local seller, all within the same or next day for a flat fee of $20.”
There are more than 5,000 products available for Etsy ASAP delivery in a variety of categories. The blog also stated that in a survey, more than half of buyers queried said they would use Etsy ASAP to secure last-minute gift items.
“We hear from sellers that they get constant requests from buyers for getting stuff really fast,” Calia Talmor, Etsy’s senior product manager for shipping and order management, said in an interview with Re/Code. “They feel they are in a bind and actually it’s technologically almost impossible” for them to get something to buyers the day or day after it’s ordered.“This gives them a way to do it really easily on Etsy,” she added.
Aimee Schiwal of Hook And Matter explained, “We’re super excited about Etsy ASAP- its immediacy and “buy local” spirit create a more intimate connection with our customers that didn’t exist before, plus it’s cool to be able to provide the perfect handmade product in a pinch!”
Etsy ASAP is available now to shoppers based in Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn, and Queens. After the initial pilot, running throughout the holiday season, Etsy will be examining the future of the program. For more information on Etsy ASAP, click here.
